An Australian shopper has criticised Temu, claiming she was tricked into paying more than she wanted by the budget marketplace’s discount offers. The Perth woman said her first visit to the site, ordering random things, turned into a nightmare because she was constantly receiving offers to discount prices.
Temu offers a “gamified” shopping experience where users are confronted with eye-catching promises of big discounts. A spokesperson for the marketplace said Yahoo Finance These offers are “inspired by well-known activities often found at fairs or shopping malls” and are believed to increase the “overall enjoyment of the shopping experience.”
However, this shopper said she would have saved a lot of money if she hadn’t been persuaded to keep putting things in her shopping basket.
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Buyer claims discounts are “not what they seem”
She was surprised at how often she was offered a discount on the contents of her shopping cart.
“I get a pop-up saying, ‘If you spin this wheel, you’ll get a discount,'” she said on TikTok. “I don’t miss any discounts, I can tell you that.”
“Of course I spun the damn wheel and there it was. I got a discount. I thought, these guys are damn cool. This is so cool. I’m saving money here.”
Another opportunity to spin the wheel of fortune came up, and the shopper thought she must be the “luckiest person in the world” because she got so many discounts at once.
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She was then given the chance to get $130 off if she added four items within 60 seconds. Although she didn’t make it in time, she claimed she was given a 10-minute extension to secure the discount.
The shopper filled her shopping basket with four items—a small picture frame, a shower gel, a T-shirt, and a small piece of jewelry—thinking that this would only cost her $30.
“I go to the checkout, click this button and then the robbery happens,” she said.
“Temu, you literally scammed me to my face. It turns out I didn’t pay that price for all my products. I paid that price for the last four products.”
She said she paid $60 for those items alone, but spent a total of $160 for both baskets and shipping. She said she wouldn’t have added more items to her shopping list if she didn’t think they would lower her overall bill.
“Never think you’re a winner when you scroll through Temu, because you’re really not,” she said. “These discounts are not what they seem. And I hope you do better than I did.”
Temu’s tactics examined
Consumer organisation CHOICE investigated Temu earlier this year to uncover the marketplace’s discount tactics.
It was pointed out that while the gamified shopping experience usually guaranteed the discounts claimed, you usually had to spend a minimum amount or promote Temu to your friends on social media before you could unlock a prize.
The group said Temu creates a “sense of urgency” when shopping by sending multiple alerts and countdown timers to encourage people to make a quick purchase.
Temu has also been criticized for questionable discounts, a difficult payment process and “unfair” purchasing tactics.
“These practices, known as ‘scarcity signals,’ are common ‘dark patterns’ on websites – misleading tactics designed to get you to spend more than you intend. We are advocating for changes to the law to crack down on these practices,” CHOICE said.
The responsibility for what the buyer buys lies with the buyer
A Temu spokesman said Yahoo Finance that they aim to make the shopping process as “accessible, affordable and enjoyable” as possible.
“For example, our limited-time offers reflect the concept of flash sales in physical stores,” they said.
“Our wheel of fortune and raffles are also based on shopping mall promotions, and our interactive games resemble fairground attractions. The distribution of vouchers is common in customer loyalty programs.
“The idea is to bring these offline experiences into the digital world, creating a sense of familiarity and fun when shopping online.”
Other Temu buyers also said the woman who complained that she was tricked into spending more than she wanted should take responsibility.
“You haven’t been paying attention. Temu are the best. Just get a price match,” said one user.
“We use Temu a lot and never have any issues. Just make sure you check your till balance etc before you actually check out,” added another.
Temu said its price adjustment policy allows shoppers to be refunded the difference if the price of an eligible item drops within 30 days of purchase.
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